American Angler skipper Sam Patella called his wife, office manager Lori Patella Sunday morning to say the boat had just caught two albacore of 15 to 18 pounds at 239 miles from San Diego, on the way to destinations south. The fish were likely trolled, but that information and more should be forthcoming later this evening.

Other boats that left yesterday include the Intrepid, Qualifier 105 Red Rooster III and Royal Star. Reports from them will also begin to come in soon.

The Purfield’s Pro Tackle trip with chartermaster Dick Schaffer and 29 other anglers docked at Pt. Loma Sportfishing May 29, when skipper Jeff DeBuys tied up after eight days.

“We had limits of yellowtail and wind,” quipped DeBuys.

“The yellowtail quality was over the top,” noted Schaffer. “The 40 to 50-pounders were common. They bit on yoyo iron, big mackerel and sardines. The best of it was on the bank, in the mornings. The bite was very good but slow to build.”

A ten-minute fight scored the best yellowtail ever for Randy Benner of Culver City, who won first place for his 46-pounder. He also had one that weighed 44.8 pounds. He said the big one came on a green and yellow Salas 6X jig, tied to 50-pound Izorline. He fished with an Avet HX reel and a Seeker CJBF 70 H rod.

Bob Hager of Tumwater, WA (home of Olympia Beer) won second place for a 43.6-pound yellow. Mike Golden of Bayside used a Spanish mackerel to bait his third-place winning 42.6-pound tusker yellowtail.